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Bill Blaziek: Baseball just part of new image for El Paso

By Bill Blaziek \ Guest columnist

Posted:
10/20/2012 12:00:00 AM MDT

Our city is still much abuzz about the news of El Paso's new Triple-A baseball team and the Downtown ballpark that will be built in time for the 2014 season. Baseball fan or not, this development will be a transformational opportunity for Downtown and for our city as a whole.

It is just one of many projects on the horizon that will brighten the prospect of our city in the eyes of travelers and convention planners.

There is no doubt these initiatives will help us at El Paso's Convention and Visitors Bureau to do our job of attracting tourism, meetings, and conventions to the Sun City.

There are characteristics of our city that have made drawing tourists and conventions a challenge.

During the Women's United States Bowling Congress' Championship here in 2010, the single-biggest complaint we faced time and again was the lack of things to do Downtown in the evening. A Downtown ballpark with home games throughout the spring and summer, and all the residual businesses we anticipate coming from that -- including restaurants, bars, and other retail -- will have a tremendous impact on the vibrancy of Downtown.

Another project that will help alleviate the lack of activity is the new trolley system connecting Downtown to the UTEP area and Cincinnati entertainment district. They will serve as "continuing" vibrant locations for visitors to play, dine, and enjoy our city.

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Restored trolleys from the mid-20th century will provide unique and charming transport between the two areas that will be an attraction for visitors, not to mention a great convenience for locals to avoid parking fatigue.

An attractive network of paths and walkways throughout our Downtown is another major initiative which will offer opportunities for visitors to navigate and explore our historic city center.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau joins the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and the City Planning Department in this effort.

Our goal is to define pathways and provide flowing connectivity among key areas throughout Downtown, including the Union Plaza entertainment district, the Convention Center, the Mills Plaza pedestrian mall, the Museum District, the soon-to-be refurbished and expanded San Jacinto Plaza, and the Government Center near the County Courthouse.

Beautification efforts such as streetscaping and new and revitalized "pocket parks," much like the recently unveiled Aztec Calendar pavilion on Santa Fe, will make pathways pedestrian-friendly and engaging. We will also further define and expand the Downtown Arts District -- an excellent opportunity to celebrate and showcase our exceptional artistic talent.

All of these projects are beneficial to the parade of conventions and conventioneers El Paso hosts on an annual basis. They will also improve our position in attracting more conventions and events.

As we approach our next United States Bowling Congress event in 2015, we will reveal exciting new plans to prepare our city for the more than 100,000 visitors to this event. The benefits of the projects we will propose will be twofold: to make our city unforgettable in the eyes of these thousands of guests, and provide lasting investments for all El Pasoans to enjoy.

So stay tuned.

Each of the projects I have mentioned -- baseball, trolleys, pedestrian developments -- would individually have a marked impact on our Downtown. But together, they present an unparalleled step forward for El Paso's Downtown, and an exciting vision for El Paso's future -- for visitors and residents alike.

Bill Blaziek is general manager of the El Paso Convention Center and Visitors Bureau.